


Think Before You Speak

by wickedblackbird



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Multi, OT3, adorable idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-06
Updated: 2013-03-06
Packaged: 2017-12-04 11:46:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/710450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedblackbird/pseuds/wickedblackbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, the pet names slip out before he can stop them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Think Before You Speak

The first time Clint slipped up, he was talking to Natasha and the rest of the Avengers simply assumed he was being an ass. 

They were sitting in a SHIELD debriefing, and he had come in with a bag of sandwiches for everyone. Passing out the sandwiches (Phil's first, sitting on top of the bag, so he had an excuse to lean over the older man's seat. This got him a grateful and impish smile - if you knew how to look.), he had been laughing at some ridiculous story of Tony's.

'Heads up, sweetheart,' he said, tossing Natasha's sandwich to her.

She caught it, rolling her eyes in the familiar way, and he grinned at her.

Tony was gaping at him dramatically.

' _Sweetheart_?' Tony said. He whistled. 'You are a brave man. Don't come crawling to me when she rips your balls off.'

Bruce snorted a laugh which he tried subtly to hide as a cough, and Phil (thank God) cleared his throat to get their attention.

'If we're all settled in...' he began mildly, and everyone settled down.

Still, halfway through the meeting, Clint winked at Natasha and she threw her sandwich wrapper at him. It hit him between the eyes, and there was a slight twitch of Phil's mouth that meant he was laughing at them. Clint leaned back in his chair, grinning. Life was good sometimes.

The second time did not slide off as easy.

They were preparing for a mission, Phil's voice a steady presence in his ear via the commlink as the agent gave all of them last minute directions. In his head, Clint was already evaluating weather conditions and wind-speed, mentally reviewing how quickly he thought he would be able to take out the guards nearest the entrance he wanted. He thought it would be pretty simple. Until they got inside the base, anyway.

'And Clint,' Phil added onto the end of his lecture, 'this time try to give yourself a bit more time to escape the blast radius, alright?'

Still only half-listening, Clint said absently: 'Sure thing, babe.'

It was the sudden silence in the hanger that got his full attention. What had he-? Oh. Well, shite.

'Uh... I mean...'

Tony, Steve and Bruce were staring at him.

'You and _Coulson_?' Tony asked, voice strangled.

Ah well - in for a penny. He grinned. 'And Natasha.' 

Behind him, he heard Natasha cursing at him in Russian. Clint only grinned wider. They were bound to find out sooner or later, given the amount of time they spent together, and the looks on their faces were simply too good to pass up.

Tony made a small choking sound. Bruce looked absolutely mortified. Steve, however, seemed completely confused. He looked between Clint and Natasha, brow furrowed.

'You mean -' he said. 'What?'

'Perhaps we could get back to the task at hand?' Coulson said smoothly, and everyone jumped back into action.

'Sure thing, babe,' Tony mocked.

'Mr Stark,' Phil said, 'just remember that I still have absolutely no qualms about tasing you. And you are working with Agents Barton and Romanoff right now.'

Tony swallowed. 'Point taken.'

Four days later, Steve announced. 'Oh! I get it!' And couldn't look any of them in the eye for a week.


End file.
